APPLICATION OF THE FINITE-ELEMENT METHOD AND THE VECTOR-PREISACH-MODEL FOR THE CALCULATION OF 2-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETOSTATIC FIELDS IN MEDIA WITH HYSTERESIS

A finite element method for magnetostatic problems taking into account hysteresis is presented. The vector Preisach model is used to deal wi th hysteresis effects. Maxwell equations describing magnetostatic prob lems are discretized and solved by applying a special iterative techni que. This technique is suitable for linear, nonlinear and hysteresis p roblems. The iteration process may be formulated either in terms of M( H) or M(B). For the application of the vector Preisach model M(H) iter ation must be used in connection with a time stepping scheme. The moti ve for using the vector Preisach model is the existence of methods for fitting experimental data by the model as well as its advantage of st raightforward implementation in a computer code. Several examples have been calculated and compared with analytical solutions showing good a ccuracy.